Fairy Tail: The Glacial Prophecy
by Jack of the Blades
Summary: The cold winds are rising. An enigmatic threat surfaces. It prophecies the destruction of Fairy Tail, and claims to be an agent of Fate and the instrument of the guild's demise. This dark future hinges on the mysterious Glacial Prophecy. Fairy Tail wizards must band together again, in the hopes of changing their fates. Gray/Juvia.
1. Prologue

_She walks in shadow, the Queen of Fallen Snow._

_Firstborn of the Frost, the last you'll ever know._

_-Glacial Prophecy,_ Excerpt

**Prologue**

The eastern wind bayed relentlessly. It howled in the wizards' ears, snatching at their cloaks with cruel, icy fingers. Heads bowed against the gale, the intrepid party made their way forward through the gloom, cold and tired, but broken? Never. It would take more than just a brisk wind to shake a Fairy Tail wizard, and they were among the best.

"F-freed," Evergreen chattered, rubbing her bare arms to combat the chill, "Isn't there something you can do about this? We're freezing out here!"

A green-haired mage glanced haughtily over his shoulder, considerably more comfortable in his woolen red longcoat. Even so, his pointed nose bore the unmistakable red tinge of an oncoming cold. Or perhaps he was merely flustered.

"Don't you think I know that? I'm trying! Besides, it wasn't _my_ idea for you to parade yourself about in that _indecent_ getup," he quipped tetchily. Gesturing expansively with his rapier, he cut an elegant line of runes into the cool evening air. They hovered at chest-height, glowing an arcane purple. Freed Justine paused expectantly, palms upturned in anticipation. He took a steadying breath to prepare for the gust of warm air that was sure to follow...

Nothing.

"Damn it!" he cursed, waving away the enchantment with a dismissive flick. "That should have worked. My enchantments are having no effect!"

"Maybe that's because you're _sick_," a playful male voice enjoined, dripping with false concern. Bickslow chuckled through gritted teeth, and although Freed couldn't make out the wizard's eyes behind that visor, he knew they were fixed firmly on him. "You've lost focus," the masked mage went on, before addressing the floating totems over his shoulders. "What do you think, _my babies?_"

"_Lost focus! Lost focus!_" the dolls jeered, their high-pitched voices echoing across the moors. As annoying as their parroting could be, even they seemed a bit subdued by the inclement weather.

Freed paid them no mind, instead electing to examine his weapon more closely. The magic amplification and direction runes were still in place. The Warming enchantment should have had no problem chasing off the cold and shutting his guildmates up for good measure. And yet here they were, cold and irritated, chasing a lead that by all rights should have been left to the newer guild members.

"It seemed simple enough on paper," Freed grumbled, sheathing his sword and trudging across the high grass. " 'Escort Bronze Cog engineers from Mt. Hakobe to Magnolia.' A novice could have done it."

"And yet," Evergreen seethed through her scarf, using a pinch of magic power to warm her hands (to no avail), "we've been walking for hours and we've seen no sign of them! We should up the fee once we find these Bronze Cog morons. I'm going to need to buy _gallons_ of chapstick!" The bespectacled wizard hung her auburn-haired head morosely, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"What was Gramps thinking anyway, sending us out on an errand like this? Babysitting a bunch of gearheads? The pay's only five thousand Jewel. It's not a job for the Thunder Legion," Bickslow said, arms crossed defiantly.

"And yet, it would seem our task is not nearly as straightforward as we believed," Freed muttered, patting his coat pocket. "Who has the map? We should have seen Mount Hakobe by now. We must have gotten turned around in this field, and I don't want to chance using my Dark Écriture wings after what happened to Evergreen."

The female wizard rubbed her left shoulder knowingly. "I don't know what happened. It's like my wings just... stopped working."

"Good thing you had me to cushion your fall," Bickslow said flirtatiously, waggling his tattooed tongue. The chill air immediately made him regret this decision. Pursing his lips and swearing, he smirked nonetheless and shouted, "Right, my babies?"

"_Cushioned! Cushioned!_"

Evergreen flushed and struck the helmeted mage. "You think this is funny, Bickslow? How'd you like me to cushion your jaw with my fist, you smug-"

"I could have sworn the mountain was this way," Freed mused to himself, paying no mind to the scuffle ensuing behind him. Glancing over the foliage, he thought he could make out a faint shape on the horizon that might have been Hakobe, but what with the gathering dark he couldn't be certain.

"We should head back," Bickslow reasoned, leaping to avoid a hasty barrage of Evergreen's fairy dust. "Start out from town again. Figure out what's wrong with our magic."

_It's probably that stew Lucy made for us at the guild last night. Cana was still in the bathroom when we left. And they say _I'm _the bad cook. _Despite their situation, Freed couldn't help but smirk.

"Bickslow's right," Evergreen admitted grudgingly. "We've only been walking for a few hours and my magic power's already running low."

"Then stop shooting me!" Bickslow squawked irately as another of Evergreen's spells singed his trousers.

Freed sighed. _Laxus. Without you we've lost direction. Perhaps this is why Master has dispatched us on this fool's errand. We need to find our own way._

_Still... _He thought, squinting against the rising wind. _It is very irregular. I didn't sense any hostile enchantments, but our power wanes with every passing hour._

Halting in his tracks, Freed turned on his heel. "Enough! We make for Magnolia. The Bronze Cog can wait another night. We won't be much use to them as we are anyway. I'm exhausted..."

"_**Well, we're glad to hear that.**_"

The voice rang out from all around them, booming with power and yet somehow restrained, echoing impossibly amongst the dancing grass.

At once the Fairy Tail wizards leaped to action. Bickslow cast his arms skyward, and his floating totems rose up, forming a defensive perimeter. With one boot he stepped onto one of his "babies," hovering a few feet off the ground, hands raised.

Evergreen whipped off her glasses, tossing her reddish mane back in preparation for battle. Unconsciously she went back-to-back with Bickslow, ready to assist him, a practice born of countless years of training together. Her deadly eyes scanned the vegetation for a sign of the speaker, but no one revealed themselves to her petrifying gaze.

Freed dropped to one knee, unsheathing his sword as he did so. With one swift motion he cut a swathe in the tall grass, even as he drew an enchantment around the party. Amethyst glyphs etched into the topsoil, concentric circles upon circles of protective magic. Eyes screwed shut, he poured his strength into the spell, willing his Dark Écriture to work this time.

All this they accomplished in a matter of moments, ready for an imminent attack. When none was forthcoming, Freed became aware of just how tired his limbs were; of just how draining this trek had been.

_We've... We've traveled the span of Fiore... Why are we so... weak now?_

The thunderous, melodious voice said nothing for a time. Their only company was the sound of their own ragged breathing and the howling of the infernal wind...

"_**Impressive. Quite the teamwork you display. I would expect no less from wizards of **_**your****_ caliber_.**" A chuckle, dark and foreboding. It sounded entirely too cheerful for Freed's liking.

"No more games! Who are you?!" Evergreen shouted, her Stone Eyes peering into the tall grass. "Show yourself!"

"_**So you could freeze me with that heartbreaker's glare? I think not. Now, be a good girl and convince your brothers there to stand down. We wouldn't want anyone to come to harm, would we, Evergreen?**_"

She snarled. "_Enough!_ If you're going to hide in the grass like a coward, I'll flush you out myself!" Crossing her arms across her busty chest, Evergreen took a deep breath and focused her magic power. When she opened her eyes once more, they were alight with fury.

"_**Oh deary me.**_"

"Fairy Machine Gun..."

Freed's eyes widened with shock. "Wait! Evergreen, _don't_-"

"_Leprechaun!_" she shouted, casting her arms back grandly. A chain of searing golden sparks issued forth from her outstretched hands, cascading into the brush with a rapid staccato beat. Where they made contact with the grass it burned away, melting back and opening a clearing in the field.

Evergreen maintained her concentration, redirecting the blast over and around her guildmates to mow down all the encircling grass for ten yards in every direction. As she laid down fire, Bickslow rotated on his pedestal, taking in the view of their surroundings and launching an enthusiastic volley or two of his own.

"_Stop!_" Freed insisted, his words urgent but his body unable to abandon its position. The Total Protection Circle required constant magic power. "_It's a trick! They're not even here!_"

At once his partners ceased their offensive. Where Evergreen had assaulted the land there stood a scorched crop circle, the roots of the plants smoldering and giving off a hellish glow. Deep craters marked where Bickslow and his babies had taken potshots into the melee. But as far as they could see, none of their shots had found a mark.

"What...?" Evergreen gasped, panting as her massive expenditure of energy finally registered with her overtaxed body. "But they should have..."

"It's... a trap..." Bickslow whispered incredulously. His babies didn't bother to chime in, hovering lethargically near the ground.

Freed grunted, feeling sweat begin to coat his body. His arms shook as he struggled to keep his blade perfectly steady, and the circles wavered briefly.

"Who... who's there?" Freed hissed, eyes narrowed distrustfully. "My Total Protection Circle is impervious to your attacks! Someone will have seen this! Our guild will be on the way!" His voice broke slightly as he spoke, detracting from the menace of his threat. A bead of sweat ran down his brow.

A moment's silence. "_**You're quite right, of course. I certainly wouldn't want to face the full wrath of an official guild...**_" the voice simpered.

"A Dark Guild!" Evergreen exclaimed.

"We've dealt with their kind before," Bickslow reassured her, striking a cocky smile. "Right babies?"

"_Yeah!_" They seemed only to have the energy for one chorus.

"Begone, Dark Wizards!" Freed commanded imperiously. "You have chosen to face Fairy Tail! We don't leave Dark Guilds standing. You'll see that soon enough!"

"_**Bold words,**_" echoed the voice. "_**And yet, now that I have bested the Thunder Legion without firing a single shot, I sense that the rest of your guild will be of little challenge.**_"

Bickslow laughed, sticking his tongue out at no one in particular. "Do we look finished just yet? We're just getting warmed up!" To illustrate his point, his totems hovered a few inches higher and began to glow a menacing shade of green.

"_**Now I can prevent the Prophecy from coming to pass...**_"

Freed's brow furrowed quizzically. "Prophecy? What prophecy?"

Evergreen managed a huff of agreement, clearly focusing on her next barrage. "Doesn't matter! Ask him when he's on the ground! We won't be wasting our next attack!"

Freed felt a gentle breeze tickle his ear. Suddenly, he sensed a biting cold, radiating from somewhere behind him...

Somewhere within the circle.

"_**There won't be one.**_"

_He was..._

"_**Variation Fourteen...**_"

_Inside our circle the whole time..._

"_**Absolute Binding!**_"

Freed had no time to react. None of them did. As one the Thunder Legion felt the inexorable pull of the earth, and as one they rushed to meet it. Freed couldn't even turn his head to see if Evergreen and Bickslow were all right. All he knew was the crushing cold, the sensation of ice creeping along his spine.

_The Thunder..._ He thought to himself, as his vision blurred and the skies darkened, _the Thunder has passed. We have failed._

_Laxus, I'm sorry._

With that Freed Justine shut his eyes, suddenly tired beyond words, beyond waking comprehension.

And all the while the eastern wind was howling.


	2. Chapter One

"_A tricky thing, prophecies. Full of double meanings when we least expect them, and straightforward truths we refuse to accept. Discerning the value of a prophecy is a task just as difficult as divining one to begin with. I, for one, recommend you stick to the horoscopes in _Sorcerer's Weekly_. At least those are uplifting._"

-Fairy Tail Guildmaster Makarov, Lecture on Divination

**Chapter One**

Gray Fullbuster snarled as the bolt of incandescent energy grazed his side, searing the skin along his hip. The wound tingled, half from pain and half from the residual magic power left over from his assailant's attack.

_Damn. Cheap shot._ Resisting the urge to clutch at his injury, he brought his fist into his open palm and regained his fighting stance. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Gray screwed his eyes shut, searching for that cold, inner peace Ur had taught him to seek out. If he could focus on it, and draw from it, his magic would flow free and fast. It was a delicate process, one he had to perform with speed and reliability, while ensuring he didn't leave himself open to an enemy strike.

The pain wasn't exactly helping, though.

_What's the matter, Gray?_ His conscience jeered. For some reason it always sounded like Natsu, arrogant tone and all. _Your ouchie making things difficult?_

_Shut up, flame-brain. _Gray thought, feeling his teeth clench. _I'm trying to focus._

His snarl turned into a wince. _Talking to an imaginary Natsu. Never a good sign._ _You're losing it, Gray._

A pause.

_Talking to yourself isn't so great either._

Mental health concerns aside, suddenly he was there. In that cold and lonely place, somewhere between his head and his heart. It was desolate, it was barren, and it was _alive _with magic power. _His_ power. He just had to reach out and take it.

Gray's blue-black eyes sprung open, and a smirk crept across his pale, sharp features. Across the checkered tile floor of Magnolia's First Prudential Bank, his opponent stood her ground. A black jumpsuit covered her athletic body, and in her hands she clutched a metal walking-stick, the tip still smoking from her last attack.

The robber's red lips broke into a wily grin. Blood trickled from a cut on her cheek, courtesy of his last magical blast. Brushing a lock of silver hair from her face, she twirled the staff expertly between her fingers before stabbing it threateningly in his direction. "The next one's going right between your eyes, Fairy!" Her smile widened cruelly, eyes darkening. "Be a good boy and give up while you've still got that handsome face."

Gray took a measured breath, feeling the magic power flood his limbs. A freezing sensation overcame him, but while Natsu or Lucy might have shivered and cried out, he savored the cold. His nerves tingled and he felt fully aware of every part of his body. It was... _refreshing_. He made no move to back down.

The female wizard pouted mockingly, staring at her feet as if she genuinely regretted his decision. "No dice? Well, don't say I didn't warn you. It's your funeral- _what are you doing?!_"

Gray cracked his knuckles, savoring the freedom from his suffocating coat. "That's more like it," he groaned, as his discarded shirt glided soundlessly to the coin-strewn floor. "Now then, I'm telling _you_, lady: drop your weapon and surrender. This heist of yours is _over_."

The thief still seemed a bit preoccupied by his choice of clothing (or more precisely, his sudden lack of it). "_How can you strip at a time like this? Don't you know there's a lady present?!_" She seemed to collect herself, teeth bared. "Just my luck. Not only is there a wizard present when I hold up this joint, but he had to be a pervert too!"

"Last chance," Gray said calmly, feeling his magic power surge. "Surrender." It wasn't a request.

"'Fraid not, hon," the robber replied sullenly, spinning the staff in her grip with alarming speed. "I don't know what you're trying to pull by losing your shirt, but I've got a boyfriend already, thanks! Now then," she began, and Gray saw her body tense in preparation for her imminent attack. "Chance Baton: _Snake Eyes!_"

Before he knew what was happening the spinning staff came to a sudden stop, glowing an arcane yellow. From her outstretched fist twin bolts of fire lanced forth, streaking across the bank lobby toward where the ice wizard stood.

_Man, she's fast!_ Gray thought as the magical blast careened toward him, illuminating the cowering bank patrons in a sickly yellow light. Launching forward and dropping onto his knees, Gray shut his eyes and allowed the magic power to overwhelm his mental restraints.

His fist made contact with the floor first. The words rose, unbidden, to his lips. "Ice Make: _Floor!_" From where his hand made contact with the tiled ground, a shimmering lattice of ice sprang forth, traveling across the lobby at blinding speed, carving a path between him and his opponent.

Gray slid across the ice ramp, bringing his fist into his open palm once more. As he rocketed toward his target, he felt her blazing attack part the dark locks on his head like a hot wind.

_That was close._

Without a second thought he tapped into his magical reserves once more, allowing the fury of winter to manifest itself in his actions, bolstering his attack. Blue eyes intensely focused on the robber, he poured his energy into his fist, waiting for the opportune moment...

Evidently the robber hadn't planned on this avenue of attack. She barely had time to glance downward at the icy projectile sledding toward her before he had passed under her guard.

Without hesitation he brought his fist up. "Ice Make: _Hammer!_"

There was an instant when Gray met her eyes. They were green, and wide with shock. Her mouth parted in an unvoiced "_Oh," _of surprise, but by then it was too late. The glacial hammer caught her square in the chest, willed into existence at his fingertips. A moment later, and she was flying across the lobby, limbs akimbo. Her "Chance Baton," as she called it, landed with a forlorn clatter on the tiles. She landed in a nearby cubicle, sending scraps of parchment flying.

Gray remained kneeling where he'd vanquished his opponent, grim-faced. After a moment he rose, surefooted even on the slick ice. The hammer he allowed to dissipate as he took a casual glance around the bank.

A yawning hole stood in the brick wall where the thief had made her spectacular entrance. Debris ranging from crumbling brickwork to coffee cups littered the bank floor. Cash registers stood open and ransacked, and the security forces Gray had hoped could deal with the robber lay about in various degrees of unconsciousness. The ceiling fan had careened into the floor at some point, and the counter behind where he'd been standing had completely melted away. Tellers and patrons alike cowered behind desk chairs, large chunks of rubble, and, in one case, a smoking potted plant.

All-in-all, it could have been a lot worse.

Shrugging to himself, Gray buried his hands nonchalantly in his pockets and crossed to the nearest teller, not bothering to retrieve his shirt from the corner. The teller's bespectacled eyes flicked from his cold, dispassionate stare to the blue tattoo on his pectoral. The air was heavy with silence, brick dust, and the smell of sulfur.

"Hi, my name's Gray Fullbuster. I'd like to make a withdrawal."

* * *

"...not to mention the _colossal_ damage to the property, which the owner is demanding _you_ pay for, I'll have you know! I don't know why I put up with your antics, boy! You're almost as bad as Natsu, and I didn't even think that was possible!"

"_Hey!_"

"Good to see you too, Gramps," Gray smarmed, leaning against the bar. Two stools down, Cana was engaged in hand-to-glass combat with a large tankard of beer, paying no mind to the diminutive guildmaster who was presently reaming out the young ice wizard. "And it wouldn't have been such a problem if security had done their job. That's what I get for using a cheap bank." He dug a finger in his ear, the picture of apathy.

Makarov's mustached face had achieved a marvelous shade of purple. "Don't play cool with me, Fullbuster! The Magic Council's giving me enough grief as it is after you and Natsu caused that _avalanche_ last week! Now, unless you want to spend the next month as the Guild's _icebox_, you're going to make a formal apology, _in person_, to the owner, and you're going to _pray_ he doesn't report this to the Council!"

Gray felt his face grow hot. It wasn't a sensation he enjoyed. "I'll be sure to tell him that next time I won't step in to save his sorry ass." He struggled to keep his voice low, but he couldn't help the rebellious note that crept into his words.

"You could have waited for backup! Banks have security sensors. Or didn't Freed explain that to you the _last_ time you _blew up_ a treasury? Honestly boy, even _Natsu_ would have thought twice before causing a scene like that _indoors_ in front of _civilians!_"

"_I'm not deaf you know!_" a hurt voice shouted across the dining hall.

"Ease off him, Master," Cana scolded without taking her lips off her mug. "He was just keeping the peace.""

"No, he was leaving the place in _pieces!_ What's more, _Hero_, the chaos you caused gave the robber's partner time to loot the vault! The whole debacle was a diversion, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker!"

Gray actually turned his dark-haired head in interest. "She had a partner? _Damn._" _There goes my "At least I saved the money," excuse. _Falling onto a stool, he snagged a mug at random from a passing tray Mirajane carried. Taking a long draught, he set the glass down forcefully, a snarl at his lips.

"_Ah_, at last you realize the severity of your actions! Perhaps you'll _think_ next time before blundering into a situation without all the facts! There's a reason we _wait_ for requests to come to _us_. We're not vigilantes, Gray." Makarov's tone softened a fraction, and his face cleared slightly. Gray could see the (albeit grudging) understanding in the old wizard's eyes.

Gray sighed into his drink, toying absently with his metal wristband. "I'll keep that in mind, Gramps," he muttered sullenly. Running a hand through his black hair, he rose from his seat and strode across the guild hall, ignoring the curious stares of his guildmates.

One pair of eyes stared longer than the rest, not out of curiosity, but rather unflinching adoration. The chatter of the dining hall, and Erza seated directly beside her, faded into the back of her mind. None of that mattered right now. Juvia's azure eyes glistened; half out of sorrow on Gray's behalf, half out of joy at seeing him safe and sound.

Her shy smile turned into a grimace as she mentally berated herself. _My darling Gray! How could I have let you put yourself in such danger? I should have known you'd take the heroic action, you're so selfless!_ She swooned. _And now the master wants to punish you! Oh, the injustice! Am I the only one who understands you, my love?_

"...which is the _last_ time I ever tried to requip into one of those southern-style bathing suits," Erza finished, laughing as she tore off another chunk of bread from her plate with her armored fingers. "Serves me right for not trying it out beforehand. Those women must have no shame!"

"Yes, that's very... interesting..." Juvia replied absently, her gaze still fixed on her darling Gray. _He looks so hurt. He's so complex! I should be there for him!_ "Anyway, Erza, I should probably be heading off. I promised Mirajane I'd help with the dishes-" she lied, rising a bit too eagerly.

Before she was halfway out of her chair Juvia felt Erza's gauntleted hand settle imperiously on her shoulder. Without looking up from her soup Erza steered the water mage back into her seat with the utmost ease.

_Damn._

"Juvia," the S-Class wizard admonished, "Your eyes are sparkling so much you're going to blind passerby."

"But, the dishes..." Juvia replied halfheartedly.

Erza would have none of it. "I'm sure the _dishes_ can take care of themselves. I've known the _dishes_ for a long time, and believe me when I say that they're fine." Erza met Juvia's heartbroken stare with one of iron, eyebrows arching beneath her flowing scarlet locks. "Trust me."

Juvia's expression clouded over, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I can't bear to be apart from him any longer," she confessed quietly, eyes hidden in the shadow of her hat. "It's been weeks since I've had a chance to talk with him. If I could just go on a job with my darling Gray, I _know_ I could demonstrate my dedication..." Her words trailed off in earnest.

Erza's steely voice took a softer edge. "I understand, Juvia. But I think Gray needs his space right now-"

"Gray?" a childlike voice overhead chirped gleefully. "Oh, she _loves_ him!"

As one Juvia and Erza glanced upward to see Happy. The blue Exceed hovered on enchanted wings, paws pressed against his cheeks in mock surprise.

Juvia felt her heart stop. "_Keep your voice down, cat!_" she insisted, blushing heavily. She raised one hand menacingly, allowing it to slip into an aqueous form. "Or do I have to remind you that my body is entirely made of water?"

Happy's eyes grew somewhat fearful. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"What is it you want, Happy?" Erza asked calmly, dark eyes examining the Exceed dispassionately.

"Well, I came over here looking for some tasty fish-"

Before either Happy or Juvia knew what was going on Erza's left hand had snatched the cat up in a flash, deftly plucking him from the air. Happy barely had time to squeal before her right hand stuffed a salted sardine into his mouth. "There. Now leave Juvia be." Without another word she tossed Happy skyward. The Exceed tumbled through the air, fumbling after his fishy prize, before returning to Natsu's table with all speed.

Erza sighed, but smiled marginally while she did it. "Sorry about that Juvia," she apologized, turning to her friend. "I... Juvia?"

Juvia's empty seat wasn't very talkative.

"Oh _damn_." Erza braced her hands on the tabletop in frustration, pushing her armored body free of the bench. Glancing about the guild hall, she searched for the blue-haired sorceress in the bustling crowd.

_As if I had to guess where she's going._

Sure enough, she caught sight of Juvia's cerulean locks in the sea of diners. And they were making a beeline for Gray, who had seated himself sullenly beside Elfman Strauss.

Erza pushed her way through the crowds, accidentally jostling Gajeel's elbow. Gajeel, who had just finished composing his latest guitar riff, _Gears of My Heart, _gave a cry of dismay as the inkwell upturned and obscured the entirety of his composition. Some of the black liquid also sprayed Pantherlily, but this was less of a tragedy.

The Iron Dragon Slayer turned, snarling, to face his aggressor, and as luck would have it Natsu happened to be passing by.

The ensuing brawl was inevitable.

Erza ignored the melee that erupted in her wake, pausing only to overstep a bench and duck a flying tankard. _That Cana has such a temper._

Juvia was a stone's throw from Gray now, and Erza could have sworn she could hear the rain woman's excited breathing even in all the chaos.

"Juvia-"

"_I'll teach you to interrupt my creative process!_"

"_What are you talking about, metalhead?_"

"Don't do this-"

"_Who are you calling metalhead, flame-brain?_"

"_Why I oughta-_"

"_Iron Dragon..._"

"_Fire Dragon..._"

"_Juvia!_" Erza howled, now an arm's reach from the smitten young woman.

Suddenly the door to the guild hall burst open with a thunderous _crack!_ Erza's gaze, and that of (almost) everyone else in the hall snapped to meet the sound. All fighting stopped with impressive speed. Erza suspected Master Makarov had Freed enchant the door for just such an occasion.

A weedy merchant stood panting on the threshold. His goateed face was drenched in sweat, and his beard appeared to have recently been on fire. Hands braced against the knees of his trousers, he took several ragged breaths before meeting the collective gaze of the Fairy Tail guild. Gajeel, for his part, had stopped beating up Natsu mid-punch. The Fire Dragon Slayer's hand still crackled with a brilliant red flame.

"There's... been another break-in. My store... is being ransacked..." He hacked loudly, fumbling for a silk handkerchief. "The police... Missing... Please. _Help_."

With that the jeweler (for that was indeed what he was), issued a final hideous cough and fainted on the spot.

There was a moment's silence, and Erza honestly expected the brawl to ensue once again. She prepared to requip to her Adamantine Armor just in case. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she caught sight of Makarov. Clearly anticipating the same thing, the guild master made his way to the unconscious body calmly but swiftly, in some cases treading over fallen combatants (although this he did gingerly).

Pausing to consider the man, who was presently drooling onto the floor, Makarov grumbled to himself before turning to face his children.

"Okay Fairy Tail, you heard the man. Natsu, Gajeel, you're going to escort Levy to the police station. Figure out what's got them trapped there. It might be some sort of enchantment. You'll need her to undo it. The rest of you, you're on crowd control. Keep the citizens away from the storefront. We don't want any accidents. Mira, mind the Guild." With that Makarov turned and made to return to his stool.

"What about the robbers, Gramps?" Natsu asked plaintively through Gajeel's fist. "Aren't we going to kick their asses?"

Makarov paused mid-stride. Glancing casually over his shoulder, the diminutive guild master shrugged and said, "I imagine this is the same robber who assisted the bank heist this morning. I also imagine that Gray will be more than willing to rectify his mistake."

Gray stood without a word, and solemnly began to cross the guild hall. As he passed Makarov, he nodded knowingly, grateful for the chance to redeem himself.

The Ice Make wizard was about to head off when a feminine voice called out across the crowd. "_Wait!_ Wait!" The crowd parted, albeit slowly, to allow the blue-haired rain woman through. By the time Juvia emerged near Makarov and Gray, her hat was lopsided and covering one of her big blue eyes.

"Yes, Juvia?" Makarov asked quietly, arms crossed in the small of his back. His bushy gray eyebrows arched expectantly.

_No way,_ Erza thought to herself, stunned. _She's going to try it in front of everyone? But she's always been so shy... Maybe I underestimated her._

Juvia took a steadying breath, her blue-robed chest rising and falling in a measured arc. Her cheeks were pink, but her eyes were full of conviction nonetheless. "Master... I..." she began falteringly, refusing to make eye contact with Gray lest she lose her nerve, "I wish to accompany Gray on his mission. It could be dangerous. Clearly there's more than one robber left over if they've managed to loot the shop and incapacitate the police. And," Juvia went on, her words gaining strength, "I refuse to let Gray go alone!" With that she inclined her head reverentially to Makarov, wringing her hands together as she awaited his judgment.

Gray, for his part, was thunderstruck.

"Fine," Makarov replied. "Gray, it looks like you have a partner. Hop to it."

"What?!" Gray exclaimed, dark blue eyes wide with shock. "Gramps, I can handle this on my own. I don't-"

"My mind is made up. Have fun you two." Makarov waved nonchalantly and continued his journey to the bar. Erza could have sworn she saw an evil smirk on his face.

_Master always gets his revenge._


	3. Chapter Two

"_Furthermore, there is only one rule that a Fairy Tail wizard must adhere to within the City of Magnolia, except in the most dire situations._

_New rules will be added as needed. It's pretty straightforward, so I imagine it shouldn't be a problem._

_1) Avoid property damage to the City of Magnolia._

_2) Avoid reckless activity within the city limits of the City of Magnolia. If you have to ask, it's reckless!_

_3) As of now, fire-walking competitions in the Garden District are strictly forbidden._

_4) Citizens are not acceptable cannon fodder._

_4a) Citizens are not acceptable ablative armor._

_5) Duels, challenges, competitions, throw-downs, spats, quarrels, vehement arguments, mild arguments, slight disagreements, and anything else I can think up are _expressly forbidden _in public streets, and _certainly_ not during _RUSH HOUR_!_

_6) Once again, I must remind you: Avoid property damage!_

_7) Seriously, are you even reading this list? No damage. None!_

_Refer to Rules 1-7._

_8) The rules of this list are mandatory reading for all Fairy Tail members. THIS MEANS YOU, NATSU!_

_9) In the name of all the Wizard Saints, these people allowed us to set up this guild hall in their city, and I'll be damned if I'm the Master when this sorry guild gets evicted! Don't touch anything!_

_10) No citizens or property are to be pushed, shoved, injured, insulted, incinerated, eviscerated, decimated, frozen, smashed, crushed, impaled, annoyed, forced to attend poetry readings, experimented on, harmed, inconvenienced, etc_

…

_418) The Guildmaster is no longer required to maintain this sorry excuse for a list."_

_-Fairy Tail Reminder Flier (8th Edition)_

**Chapter Two**

Gray frowned marginally, bringing the binoculars away from his inky-blue eyes. "Damn. The place is all dark. No sign of a break-in, now that I think about it." Ruffling his black locks, he glanced over his shoulder at his new partner.

She was a bit preoccupied by his near-total lack of clothing. _When he said we should camouflage ourselves, I thought he meant leaves and twigs! Is he trying to seduce me? Oh Gray, why must you toy with my heart so?!_ Grimacing, Juvia shook her blue-haired head to clear it of her idle fantasies. It didn't work, but it was the thought that counted.

Juvia accepted the binoculars from Gray, doing her best to ignore the way she thrilled when their hands met briefly. "Perhaps they've got hostages? That would explain the lack of activity outside." _But it wouldn't explain why your arms are so beautifully toned, my darling._

"Good point."

"I couldn't help but notice, they really are quite attractive," Juvia began, before gasping and clutching her mouth, a look of horror on her pale features. _Right, he didn't hear that last part._

Gray shot her a quizzical look, but before either party could say anything a window across the road from their hideout exploded in a shower of glassy shrapnel. No magic, not as far as they could see. Juvia's expression snapped from one of fluster to calm certainty. It was time for business.

Something squat and heavy, judging by its flight path, slung itself across the narrow alley from the jeweler's second floor to an adjoining rooftop. The bag of loot crashed with a metallic _clang_, and Gray thought he could make out the gleam of silver. Moments later another pair of treasure-laden satchels soared out the window to land heavily atop each other. Someone shifted in the window, but the shadows were too deep to make out much about their target.

"Okay, let's do this," Gray snarled, bringing one fist into his open palm. Juvia could sense the icy cold radiating from him from her prone position at his side.

It was exhilarating. Cheeks flushing, she quietly demurred, "Wait. Let's allow them to cross over. We'll have more room to fight, and we can get a better look at them beforehand." To illustrate her point she rested a cautionary hand on Gray's naked shoulder as the young man made to rise. She was surprised by how steady her grip was. _Good girl, Juvia. Stay professional. Gray admires that._

"Hmm. Fine. But I'm going to need a few seconds to prepare my ice bridge." He gestured with a tilt of his raven-locked head at the difference in elevation between their cover and the rooftop. "It might give them the time they need to escape."

"Trust me," Juvia asserted, smirking, "When the time comes, make your bridge. I promise it'll work faster than you'd expect."

Gray arched an eyebrow, but raised no further objections. For the better part of five minutes the pair watched bag after bag soar from the ransacked storefront. Gray tensed with each impact, eyes locked on their quarry. _He wants these guys bad. He's like a tiger, poised and ready to strike. A beautiful, beautiful tiger with-_

_Focus!_ Gritting her teeth, she redirected her attentions across the way. Overhead, the noonday sun beat down on the shingled rooftops of Magnolia, causing Juvia to sweat into her out-of-season parka. "Thank god for this cover, I'm burning up," she mused, wiping an errant bead of sweat from her forehead.

Gray spared her a cursory glance. "Then lose the clothes." Her ensuing squeal might have woken the dead. Gray was more concerned with the robbers, and silenced her with a quick hand over her mouth. "Relax, Juvia. I just meant wear something better for the job. You know, layers and all that."

Juvia's eyes narrowed, and she brought Gray's hand away from her mouth (albeit slowly). "Oh, you're one to talk. You only _have_ one layer." _One glorious layer._

Gray smiled roguishly, his dark bangs half-obscuring his sidelong glance at his watery companion. "Point taken. Here," he offered, extending a hand. Before Juvia could muster a response to Gray's direct attention, his hand was on the nape of her neck.

Juvia felt her heartbeat ratchet up by a factor of three. Clutching her bosom with one hand, eyes wide with shock and yet sparkling with delight, she stammered, "Gray, I-"

Then she felt it, the refreshing, cleansing cold. It radiated from Gray's outstretched fingertips, chilling her overheated body via the artery just below her skin. Tensing, Juvia shut her eyes, both out of relief from the heat and embarrassment at her schoolgirl fawning.

"Th-thank you." Opening her azure eyes slowly, she smiled warmly at Gray across the planter that served as their cover. At first he met her smile with good nature, but after a beat Gray noticed her half-lidded, satisfied stare and he felt the bottom fall out of his stomach.

Drawing his hand away, he scowled and broke eye contact. "It's... it's no problem, Juvia. Just lose that coat. It's not like it's snowing."

His words only half-registered with her, so giddy Juvia was, but with a happy nod she shed her overcoat to expose her white button-up workshirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The Fairy Tail emblem was emblazoned on the lapel, which ran down into an alarmingly low-cut top. Discarding the blue coat where she knew she could find it later, she returned her attentions to the job.

Gray, for his part, couldn't help but let his eyes flick in Juvia's direction once she'd lost the coat. _That shirt is _way_ too small_. Wow_._ _Has she always been that busty? _He felt his cheeks redden, and his scowl turned into an open snarl. _Focus._ _There's no need to look at her... breasts._ Even as he thought the words he shot another surreptitious gaze at her cleavage.

_Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me? I've seen this girl in bikinis before, so why is this a problem now?!_ The close proximity of the planter wasn't helping.

"Gray, look!"

"No, thank you!" he exclaimed, recoiling as the blood drained from his face. _Oh god, she noticed! Oh man, she's going to read volumes into this! What am I going to do-_

"The robbers! They're coming out!" Juvia pointed, her expression suddenly businesslike. There they were, a pair of shady characters in brightly colored getups, springing one after the other over the alley like neon gazelle. "Your ice bridge, now!"

_Oh hell. I'm not even focused. It's going to take me forever to get this ready!_ He would have to calculate the trajectory his his path, focus on willing particular bits of moisture in the air into crystalline form. All this would take time. Gray panicked. _Where the hell did this come from anyway? _He grabbed at his temple in frustration, gritting his teeth. _It's just Juvia. Get a hold of yourself!_

Rising into a kneeling position, he brought his hands together, searching for that magical source of power he kept locked deep within his chest. "Damn it, I wasn't thinking! It's going to take longer to project this-"

"Just do it." A surprisingly calm, contented voice said. It took Gray a moment to realize it was Juvia. Glancing at her (trying and failing to keep his eyes squared on hers as opposed to her eyeful of a wardrobe), he realized that she had already adopted her own magical stance. Her eyes were shut, her head bowed, hands poised just in front of her chest.

"Trust me, Gray. Just project the bridge. Don't worry about supporting it."

Her words were surprisingly soothing, like a... _Well, like rain, I guess._ Smiling in spite of himself, Gray shot to his feet and threw his hands forward, throwing caution to the wind.

"_Ice Make: Bridge!_"

In an instant, it was there. Blossoming forth from his outstretched palms, a sheet of permafrost anchored itself to the ground at their feet before rocketing with tremendous speed across the street. Where normally he would have to follow the path of the water in the air, here Gray found, to his surprise, that he could simply will his creation into being with intoxicating ease. The bridge shot like a bolt of winter towards their targets before impacting explosively with the distant rooftop. Shouts of surprise could be heard across the way, no doubt the startled burglars.

"You... You lent me your power. Your water." He turned to Juvia, a genuine smile breaking across his glacial features. "Juvia, that was amaz-"

He was nearly bowled over as Juvia took off like a shot from cover, her boots making swift, firm contact with their bridge as she raced away. "Let's finish this, Gray!" she shouted back to him, skirt billowing in the noonday crosswind. Her voice ringed with triumph.

She ran all the harder to keep him from seeing the look of joy on her face. _He's pleased with me! My beloved Gray is happy. Okay thieves... Bring it on!_

Gray's stunned silence passed, and with a smirk of satisfaction he took off after her, drawing up a roar from deep within, from where his magic flowed. It was a battle cry, and, to his surprise, Juvia was shouting one too, her high voice piercing the air like a frosty blade.

The enemy's magical blasts were nothing before them. Neon pulses of power to match their garish jumpsuits issued from the robbers, but by then it was too late. A confident woman landed in their midst, her form blurring and aqueous, cutting off their avenues of escape. An instant later, an icy meteor impacted beside her, and from it rose what might have been an ice titan.

The two shared a knowing grin. Winter was upon them.


	4. Chapter Three

"_See here? _That_ entry talks about how the Underdark Prophecy brought about an end to the reign of the Carpathian wizard dynasty. They were the most powerful family in Fiore, and this was in an age where family clans would routinely vie for power, before the Magic Council sanctioned official guilds. They held sway for nearly a century, and they were still going strong, but the Prophecy declared that their entire family would be wiped out within a year."_

"_Sounds rough."_

"_Definitely. At first the Prophecy was disregarded, but as Carpathians started falling in battle left and right, their Matriarch called them all back to their palace so they could stay safe while she looked for a way to break the curse. __That was when a magical boiler in their basement exploded, igniting their training laboratory and destroying the entire estate! So much magic power at their fingertips, and it ended up being their undoing."_

_"Sounds like their first mistake was to bunch up like that."_

"_No, and put down my fork, it's not a snack! Their first mistake was thinking of the Underdark Prophecy as a curse. The witch who issued it was a complete stranger to them, with no interest in their destruction. It wasn't a warning either, because she merely dictated the Prophecy to her apprentice in a trance, and never bothered to circulate it publicly. It took months and a few Carpathian deaths before word got to the Matriarch."_

"_So what was it?"_

"_A... truth. A truth of the universe. A statement of fact. Fate."_

"_Pfft."_

"_What?"_

"_I don't buy that. They died because they got paranoid and careless. Nobody can say what will happen. Nobody controls _my_ fate."_

"_Heh, I guess that sounds better to me, too. Our lives aren't predetermined. We're free to make our own destinies... You ate my spoon, didn't you?"_

"_Yeah, it's gone."_

_-Levy McGarden, explaining the Carpathian Tragedy to Gajeel Redfox over breakfast_

**Chapter Three**

"Would you look at _that!_ Gray and Juvia are back from the jewelry store! So Gray, did you buy your lady friend something _shiny?_" Happy crooned, using his Exceed wings to harass Gray from above.

The icicle parted his fur as it bolted past, embedding itself in the molding above the doorway. Plaster rained down upon him, and with a shriek the blue Exceed careened away, cradling his ears. "_Okay, okay!_ Sheesh, you're awfully grouchy for someone in _looove!_"

"It's not like that, cat, and you know it!" Gray's dark eyes flashed dangerously, foretelling doom. "Juvia and I just finished off those burglars and that's it! Right, Juvia?"

"Uh huh. It was very straightforward. Still... we... we were good together though, don't you think?" Her sheepish glance stopped him dead in his tracks.

The ice mage froze briefly, jaw set and eyes wide, before tearing his gaze away from his partner, cheeks flushing. "Yeah, definitely. I think we should team up more often." Even as the words issued from his lips he regretted them, as her reaction proved.

"You... you _do?_ Oh, this is _fantastic!_ My darling Gray and I, partners in love and in battle! We shall face every evil in this world side by side!" Seizing his arm Juvia proceeded to squeeze the life from it, as though embracing it would allow her to soak up his affection. Juvia swooned.

Gray grunted in dismay, caught off balance. "Where did this come from?! Just a second ago you were all calm!"

As Gray struggled to extirpate himself from the former member of the Element Four, Erza watched intently from the dining table, a faint smile on her pale face. _I don't know how Juvia stays so strong in the face of Gray's denial. Maybe it's delusion, but at least it's something. For what it's worth, he's been blushing more these days during her declarations of love._

Briefly she recalled blue hair, a soothing voice, the touch of familiar lips against her hot skin. Then, cold, as he drew away in fear. Fear for her safety, her happiness. The smile wilted on her face.

_Jellal..._

Juvia was in the midst of melting all over Gray (literally) when Makarov spun about on his barstool. "It's good you two settled the matter. Too long have you gone unpartnered, even though your magic styles complement each other so completely." Taking a sip from a tankard half as large as him, the diminutive master smirked roguishly.

"You should have heard what they're calling you," a high voice called out, echoing into the guild hall. Levy poked her cobalt head through the open door, eyes closed mid-laugh. "_Team Frostbite_, that's what the guards said. Once Natsu and I sprung them from the guardhouse, that is. Catchy, isn't it?"

"No! It's not _catchy_, and we certainly aren't _love partners_!" Gray groaned, struggling to pull himself free of Juvia's insistent embrace. His protestations sounded more panicked than usual. "As for teaming up, I... I know we can be a good pair, Juvia- _not that way!_ Let's just... take. Things. Slow." He punctuated each word with a renewed attempt to pull himself free from her watery grasp.

Juvia chirped triumphantly. "You're worried about hurting me! So sweet of you, Gray darling! I promise, you have _nothing_ to fear with me!"

"You _sure_ about that?" Gray yelped. His sarcasm was lost on Juvia as she continued to drape herself over him.

"I think the ice wizard protests too much," Carla mused, observing events with a stern gaze. From her perch on the dining table the white Exceed huffed imperiously. Wendy giggled.

"Hey, Gray! Your little screw-up cost me big!" Natsu squawked irately. The Fire Dragon Slayer stumbled over the threshold, his shock of pink hair low over his eyes. Snarling, he stomped to Gray's side, paying no mind to the fact that Juvia remained wrapped around the ice wizard in an iron embrace.

Gray rolled his eyes, features flushing more than ever before. "Listen Natsu, I don't have time for your whining! I've got other things to deal with!"

"Oh yeah, you're _real _busy!" Natsu sneered, baring his vaguely fanged teeth. "Now mop up Juvia and get your fists out!" Dropping into a fighting stance, Natsu brought his clenched hands level with his dark eyes.

"I don't understand, what's got you so twisted up, Natsu?" Erza asked, her red eyes narrowing in suspicion. Raising a gauntleted hand, she gestured at Natsu up and down. "You seem fine."

Natsu glared in her direction from beneath his mussed-up hair. "Oh yeah? Well look at _this!_" Drawing back his pink locks dramatically, Natsu exposed his right eye, heavily purpled and darkening by the second.

"What is that, an eye patch?" Wendy asked from across the dining hall, clearly too far to see clearly.

"No, it's a black eye!" Natsu howled, outraged. "I got it helping Levy clear out the guard barracks. The thieves locked them all inside!"

"And one of the thieves got the drop on you? That doesn't seem like you, Natsu," Makarov chided, arching his bushy white eyebrows piously.

"_What?_ No way Gramps! I'd never let that happen!"

"Then what exactly happened?" Juvia asked, peeling herself somewhat off Gray to get a better look at Natsu's injury. Gray, for his part, used this opportunity to try and shimmy free of her aqueous grasp, to no avail.

"I... They, uh... Fire Dragon Roar, you know... stuff like that..." Natsu mumbled, his blighted face overcast. He kicked absently at the floorboards.

Levy sighed in disappointment, settling down with her books. "I needed to dispel the binding circle that was keeping the guards locked up. They were caught at the changing of the guard, where the off-duty guards and the on-duty ones changed shifts. They were helpless. We could hear them banging on the door from the other side, and Natsu tried to punch through. His fist rebounded off the magic and... well..."

There was a beat, a prolonged silence that lay heavy upon the ears of everyone in the hall. Erza thought it might have gone on forever.

The change was almost instantaneous. Happy guffawed, and it triggered a cascade of laughter, rising from scattered chuckles to outright roaring. Natsu's face darkened enough to almost match the color of his eye.

"_Hey!_ It could happen to anyone! How was I supposed to know the stupid door wouldn't break-"

"Because I explained it to you in detail as we traveled to the barracks," Levy said quietly.

"I'm just a victim here! It's bad luck-"

"Not a matter of luck."

"Anyway, I don't want to dwell on it. But it's Gray's fault that these guys escaped the bank, and I want a throw down, here and now, to settle it!"

Erza snorted in spite of herself. _He looks like a panda. Natsu, you idiot._ A grudging smile broke across her features.

"You've got to be kidding me," Gray said, blue eyes narrowed in disdain. "You make a fool of yourself and you want to fight me to make it right? Well, I won't let it be said that I denied you an ass-kicking when you asked for it so kindly..." He took a bold step forward.

Juvia's eyes widened in surprise, her pale features full of concern. "Gray, darling, there's no need to prove your masculinity on my account! Why don't we just take the day off and celebrate our victory together? I know the perfect cafe—"

"Juvia, this isn't about you," Gray snarled. He didn't bother to meet her gaze; his focus he reserved entirely for Natsu. "Now, let me go so I can teach this salamander what it's like to be left out in the cold."

Erza took note of the expression that flashed across Juvia's features briefly; it was one of hurt. _Clearly their victory today meant a lot more to her than it did to him. Juvia, why do you set yourself up for these falls?_

Nevertheless, Juvia relinquished her watery hold on Gray. Shrinking backward, she returned to her physical form, azure eyes downcast. Erza wondered how much longer she would endure Gray's indifference, feigned or not. _Everyone's got their breaking point._

Erza remembered hers well. During the events of her childhood as a slave in the Tower of Heaven, Jellal had been her best friend. But as the dark wizards who owned them dragged him into their inner circle for weeks on end, her faith had never wavered. Jellal was hers.

It wasn't until she confronted him during her escape, and he refuted her in order to serve the being he imagined to be Zeref, that Erza found her faith in him shattered completely.

_And now... Now I don't know what I feel._ Jellal had since recanted his evil ways after losing his memory and embarked upon a nearly eight-year-long journey of repentance. They had fought side-by-side during the Nirvana Incident, and shared an intimate moment just prior to the Grand Magic Games.

She still remembered it. Tumbling down that sandy hillside together, full of breathless anticipation, their lips hungry to taste each other. And then, the lie. That terrible, beautiful lie Jellal had told her to keep her safe, to continue punishing himself for his sins.

_I have a fiancee._

_Oh Jellal._

Juvia's innocent adoration for Gray was both worrying and slightly cute, but Erza had no idea how much more of this the water wizard could take.

"Okay Natsu, just remember, you asked for this!" said Gray, baring his teeth in a wicked smirk. Icy mist danced about his outstretched fingertips.

Natsu pounded his knuckles together, his good eye narrowing menacingly. "Oh yeah, now I'm fired up!"

Gajeel glanced up from tuning his guitar. "This'll be good."

To anyone in the Fairy Tail guild, this was a familiar sight: Natsu and Gray, going head-to-head. It was as expected as Cana's binge drinking or Elfman's interminable declarations of manhood. With the unconscious certainty born of years of conditioning, each wizard collectively took steps back, ducked behind counters, or erected defensive wards.

For her part, Erza held her ground, observing the brewing hostilities from her comfortable ringside seat. If either of those idiots happened to strike a glancing blow on her, they'd have a lot more to worry about than black eyes and clingy women.

Natsu was just rearing back, fire streaming through his clenched teeth, when a clap of thunder resonated heavily through the guild hall. Cana's wineglass shattered in her grasp (followed immediately by the tarot wizard's scream of despair), a stained glass window cracked like a gunshot, and Pantherlily collapsed into Levy's salad bowl, clutching his rounded ears and trembling intensely.

A voice, high and dignified, intoned morosely, "_The Thunder has passed. We have failed._"

The words echoed through the wooden rafters and their ears, full of sorrow and regret. Natsu and Gray glanced about, confused, as did many of the more inexperienced guildmates. Makarov grew unnaturally still. Erza's red eyes widened, glistening.

_Impossible._

"What the hell is going on, Gramps? Is this some trick to keep me from smashing Gray? You know I prefer my ice crushed." Natsu smirked, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.

"Natsu you idiot," Gray growled. "Didn't you hear? That was Freed's voice, not Gramps'. Something's wrong."

"Huh?" Natsu said, thoroughly bewildered. "Hey, Freed! Where are you, man? What's wrong?"

"It was some kind of recording, wasn't it?" Juvia asked, glancing at the Master. "A code."

Makarov said nothing, his lowered face in shadow.

Murmurs began to spread through the guild hall, whispers of what this portent might mean, but Erza put a stop to them with a smack of her blade against the tabletop, gouging the wood loudly.

"_Quiet!_ Master, what do we tell them?"

Master Makarov presently seemed to recover his voice, though it was a hollow affair when he at last managed to rasp, "'The Thunder has passed.' That... is the code Freed agreed to use. He used his Dark Écriture magic to link himself to the guild. The warning is to play if... If..."

"If the Thunder Legion is defeated by an enemy of Fairy Tail," Erza finished grimly. Outwardly, she seemed frightfully calm, but from his vantage point Happy could see how she trembled with rage...

Or fear.

"What do you mean, defeated?" Natsu asked, frowning cluelessly. "Like knocked out?"

"Like _wiped_ out," Gray corrected, terrible realization starting to break across his features.

Natsu's eyes widened in shock and anger. "No way! Bickslow and Evergreen are _way_ too powerful for that to happen, and Freed could take _both_ of them, easy! It's got to be some kind of-"

"Mistake? I think not." Makarov's voice was heavy with sorrow. "It would seem... that the Thunder Legion has been destroyed."


End file.
